In a known case of this type (FR-A-2 581 849), the axis of articulation of the intermediate plate on the base is common to the axis of articulation of the cover, the makeup (or makeups) being carried by the intermediate plate, the base being adapted to contain an applicator such as a sponge or a powder puff, whilst the interior of the cover comprises a mirror. The use of such a case is impaired by the fact that the withdrawal of the sponge or the powder puff requires swinging of the intermediate plate. Moreover, if the base must be kept sealed, the seal must be carried out between the cover and the base, which is difficult to provide because of the presence of the intermediate plate between the cover and the base.
Thus, there are known cases in which the seal is obtained between the cover and the base, the case comprising an internal resilient cover ensuring the seal with an upper wall of a recess of the base (see EP-A-0 614 629). The cover comprises a rotatable ring, mounted fixed against translation in the case and having on its internal cylindrical surface portions of female screw threads spaced angularly, adapted to coact with male screw thread portions spaced regularly on the external cylindrical wall of the recess of the base. During rotation of the ring, the male and female screw thread portions coact to close in a sealed manner the case, which is opened by rotating the ring in the opposite direction.
There is also known from JP-A-08 238 122, a case whose base receives a makeup cartridge provided with a bottom and a cover coacting with each other by complementary screw-threaded portions. When the cartridge is mounted in the case, the cover of said cartridge is secured to the cover of the case and has a portion projecting from said cover of the case which, when it is rotated in one direction, permits opening the case and the cartridge and, when it is rotated in the opposite direction, permits sealed closing of the case.
The document JP-A-08 150016 provides a case in which a closure disk is mounted secured to the cover of the case and coacts with the cylindrical external wall of a recess in the base of the case such that, during rotation of the disk, the screw-threaded elements carried by the disk are operated and by the engagement with each other open or close the case.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,561, the case comprises a base provided with a wall projecting upwardly delimiting a recess for a product and provided, on its external surface in the form of a cylinder of revolution, screw means coacting with complementary screw means provided on an internal cylindrical wall which is a figure of revolution, on the cover, said cover being provided in its base with a material suitable to ensure sealing against the upper surface of the recess of the base. The cover is articulated on the base of the case by means of a ring surrounding the external wall of said cover between means limiting the base and whose axial length is greater than its thickness, this ring permitting the emplacement and removal of the cover on and from the base by screwing.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,466,295, the case has an articulation between the base and the cover of which one of the elements is mounted fixedly on the cover whilst the other element is mounted driveably in rotation on the upper surface of the base of the case.
Such structures do not permit providing an intermediate plate.
To solve the problems of sealing resulting from the use of makeup with volatile components, there has been proposed (see FR-A-2 576 496) the use of an internal cover pivoting or enclosed, ensuring solely the sealing of the base containing the makeup. Such a solution is cumbersome and its use is complicated.
There has also been proposed (FR-A-2 686 784) that the intermediate plate be an interchangeable platform that snaps into the base. Such a solution does not permit in a simple manner, using an applicator such as a sponge or a powder puff.
There has also been proposed a case (JP-A-08 242 937) in which sealing is ensured with the help of an intermediate plate articulated on the base in a manner perpendicular to the articulation of the cover of the case.
The base of said case comprises a recess in which is received a dish of makeup and which has on its periphery a rotatable frame having snap-in projections. The intermediate plate has projecting tongues on its surface turned toward the base of the case, said tongues extending along the rotatable frame when the plate rests on the base. These tongues are provided with snap-in projections adapted to coact with the complementary projections of the rotatable frame when the latter is rotated. The cover also comprises a snap-in nose coacting with a projection of the rotatable frame.
Thus, the rotatable frame permits locking the intermediate plate disposed on the base and the closing of the cover by simple rotation of said frame to cause coaction between the snap-in projections with the projections of the tongues of the plate and the snap-in nose of the cover.
There is provided a spring in the device for rotating the rotatable frame, to open the case such that it is difficult to obtain a differentiated opening of the case and then an unlocking of the plate. Because of this, when desired, in the case of a case provided with a mirror, to have access only to said mirror without using the makeup, the unlocking of the intermediate plate also takes place, thereby destroying the seal itself in a case in which this is not useful.